‘Democracy seems losing sheen in Pakistan’

LAHORE: Quality of democracy in Pakistan in year 2017 seemed to be gradually losing its sheen since 2013.

Democracy in Pakistan year after year since 2013 shows a somewhat tumultuous trend; 2017 saw considerable challenges to democracy in Pakistan and as the country enters 2018, the challenges are likely to intensify for a variety of reasons, including the general election due in August 2018.

Analysing the quality of democracy, PILDAT has identified the following key areas that have had an impact on state and quality of democracy in 2017:

It was mainly observed that it’s testing time for democratic order as if the current democratic order endures jolts and shocks in the next four months, democracy will come out stronger. Rising political polarisation is reaching new heights as the country enters the election year.

In 2017, Pakistan entered the longest uninterrupted period of democracy in its history but democracy appears to be weakening. Civilian space is shrinking in policy spheres as military kept outside its professional domain while elected governments and political leadership cedes space. Though, National Security Committee (NSC) started meeting regularly after a long period of near dormancy. The forum should address strategic issues in civil-military relations in a sustained manner alongside routine operational matters. Lethargic and slow decision-making was observed at the top executive level, as top positions could not be filled in time and major policy decisions waited indefinitely until forced to act by the events or judicial orders.

Faizabad Dharna and its aftermath have raised serious questions with grave implications for the stability of the state. The Constitution clearly defines all the rules of the game on democratic governance of the homeland. Multiple power centres, resorting to sit-ins and weakening the writ have to have an end.

Analysing NAP and fight against terrorism it’s true that armed forces deserve highest national gratitude for supreme sacrifices in stemming the tide of terrorism but terrorism incidents in 2017 show that this let-up is temporary as collectively, national, civil and military leadership failed to fix structural problems responsible for extremism and terrorism. In the area of electoral reforms, the delayed and careless passage of Elections Act, 2017, which has some deliberate reversal of earlier important gains and delay in passage of the 24th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2017, have not brought in required attention and focus to electoral reforms.

Talking about internal democracy of political parties, which is already extremely weak, eroded further during 2017 as the parties boldly experimenting with genuine party elections also succumbed to the prevailing norm of election merely for the sake of fulfilling a legal formality. Parliament and provincial assemblies were unable to resolve political and institutional crises in 2017, as before.

Members and top political leaders alike show little respect for legislative proceedings as attendance frequently falls way below the 25 percent mark leading to premature adjournments and even prorogation. Parliament, the provincial assemblies and their committees especially failed in undertaking effective oversight of the executive.

Judiciary appeared to have succumbed to populist pressures and street sentiments when it gave mostly unwarranted observations in judicial proceedings. Serious questions on the formation of JIT and other unprecedented steps in Panama case remain unanswered.

Huge backlog of cases persist and a failed system of justice continue with no reforms in sight while judiciary remains busy with high profile political cases and matters relating to executive domain. Media & social media achieved and exacerbated new heights of political polarisation in Pakistan. Social media became a new weapon of insult and disinformation as political parties and many non-political actors deploy huge social media teams to control opinion formation. Serious concerns are expressed about possible abuse of social media by organised groups and foreign powers to influence the coming general election.